The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the second installment of Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale and supported by Michael Caine.

 

Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. In the film, Bruce Wayne, Batman (Bale), Police Lieutenant James Gordon (Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart) form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City, but are menaced by an anarchistic mastermind known as the Joker (Ledger), who seeks to undermine Batman's influence and throw the city into anarchy.

Nolan's inspiration for the film was the Joker's comic book debut in 1940, the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke, and the 1996 series The Long Halloween, which retold Harvey Dent's origin.

The "Dark Knight" nickname was first applied to Batman in Batman (1940), in a story written by Bill Finger. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The film was the first mainstream feature to partially utilize IMAX 70 mm cameras, with Nolan using them for 28 minutes of the film, including the Joker's first appearance.

Warner Bros. initially created a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screenshots of Ledger as the Joker. Ledger died on January 22, 2008, some months after he completed filming and six months before the film's release from a toxic combination of prescription drugs, leading to intense attention from the press and movie-going public.

Considered one of the best films of its decade and one of the greatest and most influential superhero films of all time, the film received critical acclaim for its screenplay, visual effects, musical score, mature themes, performances (particularly Ledger's), cinematography, action sequences and direction. The film also set numerous records during its theatrical run.

The Dark Knight appeared on 287 critics' top-ten lists, more than any other film of 2008 with the exception of WALL-E, and more critics (77) named The Dark Knight the best film released that year. With over $1 billion in revenue worldwide, it became the fourth-highest-grossing film at the time, and highest-grossing film of 2008; it also set the record for highest-grossing domestic opening with $158 million, a record it held for three years.

At the 81st Academy Awards, the film received eight nominations; it won the award for Best Sound Editing and Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor.

In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", becoming the second superhero film after 1978's Superman to earn the honor. The Dark Knight Rises, the final film in the trilogy, was released in 2012.

A gang of criminals rob a Gotham City mob bank; the Joker manipulates them into murdering each other for a higher share until only he remains, escaping with the money. Batman, District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Jim Gordon form an alliance to rid Gotham of organized crime. Bruce Wayne is impressed with Dent's idealism and offers to support his career; he believes that, with Dent as Gotham's protector, he can give up being Batman and lead a normal life with Rachel Dawes—even though she and Dent are dating.

Mob bosses Sal Maroni, Gambol, and the Chechen hold a videoconference with their corrupt accountant, Lau, who has hidden their funds for safekeeping and fled to Hong Kong. The Joker warns them that Batman is unhindered by the law, and offers to kill him in exchange for half their money. After Joker kills Gambol and takes over his gang, the mob accepts his offer. Batman finds Lau and brings him back to Gotham to testify, allowing Dent to apprehend the entire mob.

The Joker threatens a string of murders unless Batman reveals his identity, and starts by killing Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb and Judge Surrillo. He targets the mayor but Gordon sacrifices himself to stop the assassination.

Rachel is the next target. Bruce plans to reveal his identity to stop the murders but Dent, refusing to allow him to do so, announces that he is Batman instead. Dent is taken into custody and the Joker attacks the convoy. Batman and Gordon, who faked his death, rescue Dent and apprehend the Joker.

Rachel and Dent are kidnapped and the Joker reveals that they are in separate locations rigged with explosives. Batman races to save Rachel while Gordon attempts to rescue Dent. Batman realizes too late that the Joker sent him to Dent's location instead. Both buildings explode, killing Rachel and disfiguring half of Dent's face.

The Joker escapes with Lau, whom he kills along with the Chechen. Coleman Reese, an accountant at Wayne Enterprises, deduces that Bruce is Batman and tries to go public with the information. Not wanting Reese's revelation to interfere with his plans, the Joker threatens to destroy a hospital unless Reese is killed within the hour.

The Joker convinces a disillusioned Dent to seek revenge for Rachel's death, then destroys the hospital. Dent goes on a killing spree as the vigilante Two-Face, targeting those he holds responsible for Rachel's death.

After announcing Gotham will be subject to his rule come nightfall, the Joker rigs two ferries with explosives, one containing civilians and the other prisoners. He threatens to blow them both up but will let one ferry live if its passengers blow up the other. Batman finds the Joker by exploiting the sonar capabilities of all the phones in the city.

The civilians and the prisoners refuse to kill each other, proving that Gotham still has hope in good. As SWAT takes the Joker into custody, he gloats that Gotham's citizens will lose hope once the admired Dent's rampage becomes public knowledge.

Gordon and Batman encounter Two-Face, who has held Gordon's family as hostages. Two-Face shoots Batman and threatens to kill Gordon's son, claiming that Gordon's negligence is responsible for Rachel's death.

Batman tackles Two-Face off the building to his death. He persuades Gordon to hold him responsible for Dent's killing spree to preserve Dent's heroic image, believing Dent is the hero Gotham needs right now. Dent is hailed as a hero and the police launch a manhunt for Batman, with Gordon unwillingly destroying the Bat-signal.

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